Base Newspapers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Changes are coming to your TRICARE benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2018. These changes will give you more benefit choices, improves your access to care, simplifies cost shares, and allows you to take command of your health.

"Taking command of your health means empowering you to make the right health care and coverage choices for you and your family," said Lt. Cmdr. William Bennett, Naval Hospital Jacksonville director for healthcare business. "Leading up to Jan. 1, 2018, we will connect you with TRICARE resources to navigate your benefit questions."

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Soldiers who receive a basic allowance for housing and have dependents are reminded to keep their records up to date to prevent any disruptions in their Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH, entitlements, according to experts within the Army's Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.

To help ensure the overall readiness of the force, the Army G-1 has notified 65,000 Soldiers that they needed to provide proof of dependency to justify their housing rates, according to J.D. Riley, deputy chief of the compensation and entitlements division, G-1.

WASHINGTON -- The current Army Combat Uniform top weighs in at about 650 grams, or about 1.4 pounds. It's got a lot of pockets and multiple layers of fabric. When it gets wet, it tends to stay wet. And when it's hot out, it tends to keep Soldiers hot.

The Army has a solution for that: the Improved Hot Weather Army Combat Uniform that has a whole lot fewer pockets, layers of fabric and Velcro, as well as a new fabric that is actually lighter than the current ACU.

WASHINGTON -- Research shows that when Families are connected to their unit, each other, and the community, Soldiers and Families are better able to meet the challenges of military life, according to Heather Leiby, school liaison transition specialist, U.S. Army Installation Management Command.

In the Military Family Forum II at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, Leiby gave participants an overview of the new Readiness Essentials for Army Leaders, or R.E.A.L. training.

DALLAS, Oct. 23, 2017 — With less than a month until the much-anticipated official launch of the veterans online shopping benefit, more than 225,000 honorably discharged veterans have already been verified to shop at online military exchange websites when the sites open to veterans Nov. 11.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service online shopping benefit is the first military exchange benefits expansion in nearly 30 years. Beginning on Veterans Day, America’s 18.5 million veterans will be able to shop online at the military exchange websites: ShopMyExchange.com, shopcgx.com, mymcx.com, and mynavyexchange.com.

By Kat Bailey, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs / Published October 13, 2017

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- The Defense Department will implement the new Blended Retirement System next year. While no one needs to make a decision until Jan. 1, 2018, all Airmen should take advantage of training and informational resources to research their options during the remainder of 2017.

Airmen eligible for the new Blended Retirement System began receiving email notifications in February from myPers to ensure they receive correct information regarding their benefits to make the decision best suited for their individual needs.

WASHINGTON -- During this period of fiscal uncertainty, senior Army leaders remain committed to providing a high level of care and support to Soldiers and their Families -- making them an Army top priority.

Taking care of Soldiers and Families ensures readiness, said Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, during a forum focused on military families. About 60 percent of today's Army is married and on average has a family of four. This is a fundamentally different demographic than Soldiers serving during World War II, when only 10 percent of the Army population was married.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the formation of the Joint Ginnie Mae – VA Refinance Loan Task Force.

The task force will focus on examining critical issues, important data and lender behaviors related to refinancing loans, and will determine what program and policy changes should be made by the agencies to ensure these loans do not pose an undue risk or burden to Veterans or the American taxpayer.More specifically, the task force will examine aggressive and misleading refinancing propositions, as described by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and will address loan churning and repeated refinancing.

The fastest growing population group in the military today is women who currently comprise 14.5 percent of active duty personnel and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserves.

The face of VA healthcare is changing. Younger female Veterans are using VA services more frequently, including for maternity care, and having service connected disabilities, while older Veterans are using VA services for menopausal needs, geriatric care, and extended inpatient stays.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- The internet is part of everyday life. Whether you are sending an email, ordering something from a website, communicating with friends via social media or looking up the directions to your next destination, you are accessing a world-spanning digital media highway where information is stored, processed and distributed.

It doesn't take much for that information to end up in the wrong hands. This month, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, and Army garrisons around the globe, recognize National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and empower community members to be safer and more secure online.

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy announced Oct. 4 the rollout of the "OPNAV Uniform" app for iOS and Android mobile devices to provide information on how and when to wear the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type III.

The app covers the wear rules for NWU Type IIIs released Aug. 31 in NAVADMIN 214/17. It also provides photos illustrating the different uniform items and how to wear them.

WASHINGTON -- The future of military health care is likely to see significant changes in the next decade. The use of Virtual Health will help Army Medicine respond to the future operating environment, in which there may be a lack of air superiority, a wide range of health threats, and greater operational dispersion and transitions among small unit teams. Virtual Health will improve access to care for Soldiers and also provide physicians with easier access to specialists and patient health data.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Johnson will discuss what Army Medicine is doing to expand Virtual Health during a Warrior's Corner at the upcoming Association of the United States Army annual convention from Oct. 9 to 11.

Thirty-seven new companies and organizations were formally inducted into the Military Spouse Employment Partnership during a ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday, bringing the total number of partners to 297.

The partners of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership are committed to recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses in portable careers.

The TRICARE Health Plan has announced the 2016 premiums for TRICARE Young Adult Prime and Standard options covering beneficiaries between 23 and 26 years old. These premiums are adjusted on an annual basis and go into effect Jan. 1, 2016.

"JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas" - Special duty assignment pay levels for a handful of career fields changed effective Oct. 1, following the most recent Air Force annual review resulting in 14 career fields or assignment areas being modified or added.

The annual review focused on identifying Airmen in extremely demanding positions with unusually challenging responsibilities that differ from their normal job demands. During the review, one Air Force specialty was evaluated for the first time and was added to the SDAP-eligible list.

DALLAS - Military shoppers can fill their sleighs with the hottest toys for children of all ages this holiday season with help from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's Toy Book, which features a selection of gifts both in-store and online.

The 32-page shopping guide, available Oct. 23 in the continental United States and Nov. 6 overseas, is packed with Military Brat-Approved toys, which were tested by military children. Shoppers will find the Military Brat-Approved seal of approval throughout the shopping guide highlighting the hottest kid-tested toys.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2014 - Big changes are happening with the Joint Travel Regulations, and they could affect your next permanent-change-of-station move or how you are reimbursed for temporary duty assignments.

As of July 25, Army uniformed and civilian travelers are directed to use their government travel credit cards for PCS moves, Harvey Johnson, the director of the Defense Travel Management Office said today.

Washington, DC - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will begin accepting applications by mail on Monday, November 3, 2014, for the Fry Scholarship under newly expanded eligibility criteria to include surviving spouses. The expanded criteria for the Fry Scholarship is the latest in a series of VA actions to implement provisions of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ("Choice Act").

As the family member of a National Guard or Reserve member, your TRICARE options may change throughout the course of your sponsor’s career. Your TRICARE eligibility depends on your sponsor’s military status. If your sponsor’s status ever changes from inactive to either, pre-activation, active duty, or deactivation, your TRICARE options will vary.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2014 - Operation Homefront is seeking nominations for the 2015 Military Child of the Year Awards.

Officials of the nonprofit organization, which provides aid to service members and their families, said they understand what military children go through in supporting their service members and want to recognize their contributions.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2014 - October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Defense Department is working to increase awareness of what a senior department official calls a serious public health issue and one for which the military offers multiple options for prevention and treatment.

"The military is a microcosm of civilian society," Kathy Robertson, DoD's Family Advocacy Program manager, said today in a DoD News interview, noting that nearly 8,000 substantiated incidents of domestic abuse and intimate-partner violence were reported in the department during fiscal year 2013.

The lives of service members and their families are full of transitions. Whether it's permanent change of station moves, retiring, going from Reserve status to active duty or something else, the one constant is change. The good news is that your TRICARE coverage can stick with you through these life changes, but you do have to make sure that your records in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) are up to date with your latest life events.

This means you should keep all your personal information - address, duty status, phone numbers, and email addresses - up to date. It's important to review DEERS as soon as possible whenever you move or experience one of the following life events:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that it will join forces with retailer Walgreens to provide greater access to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended vaccinations to Veterans across the country. This partnership grew out of a successful pilot program that began in Florida to provide flu vaccines to Veterans throughout the state. Based on those results, VA is expanding the pilot nationwide.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2014 - A team of medical experts from both within and outside the Defense Department has found that the Military Health System (MHS) provides good, quality health care that is safe, timely and comparable to the civilian sector, but has also identified areas for improvement.

In May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a comprehensive review of the military health system to focus on access to care and to assess the safety and quality of care being provided, both in military treatment facilities as well as in healthcare that the department purchases from the private sector.

FOOD NETWORK'S TOP CELEBRITY CHEFS ARE SCOURING THE NATION IN SEARCH OF AMAZING HOME COOKS!

You've watched them on TV, bought their cookbooks, and tested out their recipes at home. This is your chance to work with a culinary icon! Outlast your competitors in this high stakes cooking competition and you could go home with bragging rights and a HUGE CASH PRIZE!

FOOD NETWORK and the producers of GUY'S GROCERY GAMES and THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE are on a quest to find home cooks for a new competition show!

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2013 - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, joined Senate spouses and White House interns yesterday to help USO volunteers in putting together "warrior care packs" to aid wounded, injured and ill troops in their recovery process.

The event was hosted on the grounds of the vice president's residence, where Biden emphasized the importance of everyone coming together to help wounded service members, citing the Joining Forces campaign she has championed with First Lady Michelle Obama over the last two years.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2013 - The federal government's executive branch hired the highest percentage of military veterans in more than 20 years during fiscal year 2012, surpassing the previous high set in fiscal 2011, Office of Personnel Management officials announced today.

The numbers were contained in the report of Employment of Veterans in the Federal Executive Branch for Fiscal Year 2012, which also was released today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2013 - Service members who deploy or are otherwise separated from their families due to mission needs now have an online resource allowing them to hone their parenting skills as they reconnect with their children. Pam Murphy, the Defense Department's lead psychologist for the website, said the launch of http://www.militaryparenting.org offers unprecedented, comprehensive and free computer-based training from a service member's perspective on parenting and building strong relationships with their children.

A clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in community and private practice, Murphy said the Integrated Mental Health Strategy Program is a collaborative initiative between the Veterans Affairs Department and DOD.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2013 - Pentagon officials announced a plan today that will enable the military services to resume conducting community and public outreach activities in the new fiscal year, but at a significantly reduced capacity. This cost-cutting measure will yield a savings of $104 million in fiscal year 2014.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlined the Pentagon's new strategic approach to community outreach in an internal memorandum to service chiefs and other military leaders. Many activities, including the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds air demonstration teams, will resume, but at a more limited frequency than in previous years.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Army Secretary John M. McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno inducted former Army Capt. William D. Swenson into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes today during a ceremony at the Pentagon.

President Barack Obama presented Swenson with the Medal of Honor at the White House yesterday. He was nominated for his actions while serving as an embedded trainer for the 1st Zone Afghan National Border Police. Swenson is the first Army officer to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War and the sixth living recipient from the war in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors

Army Air Force 1st Lt. Robert G. Fenstermacher, 23, of Scranton, Pa., will be buried on Oct. 18, in Arlington National Cemetery. On Dec. 26, 1944, Fenstermacher was a pilot of a P-47D Thunderbolt that was on an armed-reconnaissance mission against targets in Germany, when his aircraft crashed, near Petergensfeld, Belgium.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that two U.S. Marines missing in action from World War II, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Henry S. White, 23, of Kansas City, Mo., and Staff Sgt. Thomas L. Meek, 19, of Lisbon, La., will be buried as a group in a single casketrepresenting the two servicemen, on Oct. 18, at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, have been accounted for and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert E. Pietsch, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Maj. Louis F. Guillermin, 25, of West Chester, Pa.,will be buried as a group Oct. 16, in a single casket representing the two servicemen at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. Guillermin's individual remains weres buried Oct. 5, 2013, in Broomall, Pa.

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Oct. 10, 2013 - The Affordable Care Act, also known as the health care law, was created to expand access to affordable health care coverage, lower costs, and improve quality and care coordination for all Americans.

Under the health care law, people will have health coverage that meets a minimum standard (called "minimum essential coverage") by January 1, 2014, qualify for an exemption, or may be required to pay a fee if they have affordable options, but remain uninsured. Because of this, many TRICARE beneficiaries may be wondering how this new law will affect them and their families.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2013 - The Fisher House Foundation has stepped in to aid the Defense Department so families of fallen service members can receive the full set of benefits they have been promised, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today.

The Fisher House Foundation and DOD entered an agreement that includes the $100,000 death gratuity payment.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2013 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki painted a dire picture today of the impact of the government shutdown on benefits and services to veterans -- from a slowdown in claims reviews to the threat of cancelled compensation checks to more than 5 million beneficiaries if funding isn't restored soon.

"All the effects ... are negative," Shinseki reported during testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. "It is an impediment to VA's ability to deliver services and benefits that veterans have earned through their service."

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2013 - The Defense Department continues to assist service members and their families in preparing for the transition to civilian life with a new virtual curriculum, a Defense Department official said here.

During a telephone interview with American Forces Press Service, Susan S. Kelly, director of the Transition to Veterans Program office, discussed the redesign of the Transition Assistance Program and its evolution to include the Transition GPS virtual curriculum on the Joint Knowledge Online portal, or JKO, which became available today.

DALLAS - The Army & Air Force Exchange Service, in conjunction with New Balance, is helping wounded service members take a step forward in their recovery process with free athletic shoes through the Wounded Care program.

Since 2007, the Exchange and New Balance have provided complimentary footwear to service members who have been injured in action. More than 400 free pairs have been provided to Wounded Warriors this year alone.

DALLAS - In response to a May, 2012 U.S. Postal Service ban on international shipments of electronics with lithium batteries, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service now has a way for overseas shoppers to get those must-have gadgets, gizmo and devices just in time for the holidays.

"Select cameras, tablets, watches and other electronics can now be ordered online and picked up at any of 36 Exchanges in Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, Guam, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey or the United Kingdom through our ‘Lithium Ship to Store’ program," said the Exchange’s Chief of Staff Col. Thomas Ockenfels. "And now, since they’re being sent via Fed Ex, the shipping times will be much quicker than in the past."

FALLS CHURCH, Va. As Hurricane Sandy moves toward the East Coast, TRICARE urges beneficiaries to be prepared and watch the weather.

Beneficiaries living in the path of a tropical storm or hurricane should always prepare for rain, strong winds, possible flooding and evacuations. In the case of evacuations, the TRICARE pharmacy program may authorize early refills for prescriptions ensuring beneficiaries don't run out of needed medications during a crisis.

"JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas" The Air Force awarded $1,000 scholarships to 25 Airmen or family members for their entries in the 16th annual Air Force Club Membership Scholarship Program essay contest, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

The contest was open to club members and their families, more than 100 of whom submitted essays describing the meaning of the lyrics to "America the Beautiful".

DALLAS - According to the Military Child Education Coalition, an estimated 80 percent of military connected children are forced to move between 6-9 times as they complete their K-12 education and, along with geographical moves, comes changes in educational settings and curriculums.

With these unique challenges in mind, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service rewards military students who excel. In fact, schoolchildren who receive a report card with an overall "B" average or better can pick up an array of free and discounted products through the

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be buried, as a group, with full military honors.

Air Force Col. Wendell Keller of Fargo, N.D., and Capt. Virgil K. Meroney III of Fayetteville, Ark., will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the crew, on Oct. 19, in Arlington National Cemetery. Meroney was interred individually on June 9, in his hometown.

San Jose, CA - August 13, 2012 - American soldiers returning from service abroad and other veterans who suffer from debilitating tinnitus now have access to advanced treatment covered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Starting Aug. 15th, the VA will begin providing SoundCure Serenade® customized sound therapy for veterans suffering from tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears."

"We are very pleased to make this valuable treatment available to our nation's troops serving us in so many ways," stated Bill Perry, CEO of SoundCure. "Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other explosions and noise damage can leave soldiers with a painful - and constant reminder of their time on the battlefield. We are proud to work through the VA to provide a tinnitus solution and relief to military personnel."

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2012 - As service members prepare for any and all possible military operations, the Defense Department is reaching out to ensure that there are no contingencies back home to distract them from the mission, namely their personal finances.

Barbara Thompson, director of DOD's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, is leading the information campaign with a different theme each month -- starting with retirement savings -- to help service members and their families stay in top financial shape.

"JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas" It wasn't the first time she had been to the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, but Staff Sgt. Danielle Harris' Sept. 21 visit was as emotionally energizing as if she'd never been there.

Annually, during the National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day events, New York City officials honor Department of Defense agencies responsible for managing the POW/MIA Personnel Accounting program.

DALLAS - A good program just got better as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's Holiday Layaway program is now fee-free. Shoppers simply select their gifts for layaway and stop by customer service to complete the layaway process.

"Fee-free" means that while the Exchange collects an initial $3 processing fee for new layaways, that amount is returned to customers, via an Exchange Merchandise Gift Card, upon final payment and pick up their items.

DALLAS - Exchange shoppers won't have to wait for December to start the holiday season as the Army and Air Force Exchange Service's Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/AAFES.BX.PX> page is hosting "12 Weeks of Gifting" contest. From Sept. 28 - Dec. 20, shoppers can count down the last 12 weeks until Christmas by entering to win different prizes each week.

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 3, 2012 - More than 100 colleges and universities have signed on to a White House initiative to prepare educators for the unique needs of their military-connected students, Dr. Jill Biden announced today.

Biden, wife of the vice president, made the announcement at George Mason University here as part of the latest accomplishment of the "Joining Forces" campaign she began in April 2010 with First Lady Michelle Obama to rally Americans to support the health, education and employment needs of military families.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2012 - Absentee Voting Week is a reminder that it's still possible for eligible U.S. voters overseas to register and to vote, the acting director of the department's Federal Voting Assistance Program said today.

"It's not too late to vote," Pamela S. Mitchell told reporters during a telephone news conference.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2012 - Officials have developed a robust program to ensure absentee military and overseas citizens have the necessary tools to cast their votes, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today. As Election Day nears, the Federal Voting Assistance Program has taken a global, innovative and user-friendly approach, including measures mandated by Congress to assist voters, Little said during a Pentagon news conference.

"The assistance we provide is completely nonpartisan," Little said. "The Federal Voting Assistance Program strives to ensure that every absent military and overseas citizen voter has the tools and resources to receive, cast and return an absentee ballot and have it counted."

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of seven servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being buried with full military honors.

Marine Corps 1st Lt. Laverne A. Lallathin of Raymond, Wash.; 2nd Lt. Dwight D. Ekstam of Moline, Ill.; 2nd Lt. Walter B. Vincent, Jr. of Tulsa, Okla.; Tech. Sgt. James A. Sisney of Redwood City, Calif.; Cpl. Wayne R. Erickson of Minneapolis; Cpl. John D. Yeager of Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Pfc. John A. Donovan of Plymouth, Mich., will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the crew, on Oct. 4, in Arlington National Cemetery. Six of the Marines were identified and buried as individuals previously this year. Lallathin, also individually identified, will be interred individually at Arlington on the same day as the group interment.

Did you know that overseas military members can use expired coupons up to six months past their expiration date? Military families stationed overseas are often living on one income and money can be scarce. Let’s support our military by showing them some coupon love! Please join us in sending in your expired and unwanted coupons to one of our adopted bases.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2011 - In their ongoing review of military benefits in connection with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Defense Department officials have now identified a total of 14 benefits where members may designate beneficiaries of their choosing, regardless of sexual orientation.

"We listed eight member-designated benefits in our original Quick Reference Guide, released Sept. 20. We've now validated an additional six," said Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez. "While these are not 'new,' now that we've confirmed these additional benefits, we're updating the Quick Reference Guide to ensure all are aware of their beneficiary options."

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2011 - I spoke to a spouse last year about dealing with deployments and keeping military marriages strong. Her husband had just returned from a yearlong deployment in Iraq.

She cited an example of the types of issues that can arise when communication falls to the wayside. As the primary disciplinarian while her husband was gone, she adopted a "three strikes and you're out" rule for their 3-year-old son. Her husband, however, was more of a "one strike" kind of guy, and reinstituted his stricter ways upon his return.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2011 - Because U.S. forces are coming home from Iraq by the end of the year, the U.S. Postal Service will stop accepting mail addressed to military post offices in Iraq starting Nov. 17, Defense Department officials said today.

Military post offices in Iraq also will stop processing mail Nov. 17, and service members there should begin now to advise those who send them mail about the Nov. 17 deadline.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2011 - Military members and civilian Defense Department employees aren't expected to notice it, but changes that start next year at U.S. Transportation Command will help to make their household goods shipments more efficient and cost-effective.

Transcom announced plans to consolidate 151 personal property shipping offices into 11 regional offices over a four-year period beginning in 2012.

Operation:Lighten the Load is a campaign designed to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation of the heavy burden of military life for service members and their families alike, and what we can do to make life easier for those who are dedicated to serving our nation.

For families of deployed military personnel, support programs and services help make life easier as they try to cope and continue marching forward in the absence of their loved one. For our troops — both at home and away — helping care for them and their families lifts the weight of worry from their shoulders, so they can feel confident that their loved ones are in good hands.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 10 servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2011 - A U.S. Navy ship that's rested on the bottom of the Patuxent River for nearly 200 years is slowly revealing its secrets to archaeologists, a senior Navy administrator said yesterday.

During a "DOD Live" bloggers roundtable, Bob Neyland, head of the Navy's underwater archaeology branch, discussed the excavation of the USS Scorpion, which was scuttled during the War of 1812.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2011 - Pentagon officials are reviewing the Defense Department's tuition assistance policy, and no DOD-wide decision has been made to change benefits, officials said today.

All military services are providing input to the DOD review, officials said. Any recommended changes, they added, must be instituted in a deliberate, thoughtful manner that maintains the integrity of a joint, uniform policy for all service members.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2011 - First Lady Michelle Obama, on a visit with her husband to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., today announced a private sector hiring commitment of 25,000 military spouses and veterans as part of the Joining Forces campaign.

Some 270 companies represented by the American Logistics Association for doing business in military resale and morale, welfare, and recreation, have committed to hiring 25,000 military spouses and veterans in the next two years, the first lady said. The commitment is the largest yet toward President Barack Obama's challenge for the private sector to hire 100,000 military spouses and veterans by 2013.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2011 - The Defense Department and the nationwide Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign are partnering to encourage women to get regular mammograms as directed by their doctors.

The year-round campaign to fight breast cancer with early detection and prompt treatment gains momentum during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for women in the United States, and mammograms can detect early-stage breast cancer as early as three years before a lump can be felt, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2011 - Significant improvements have taken place over the last five years in making military people more aware of the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the resources it makes available, the program's director said.

In a recent interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service, Bob Carey said military voter participation rates in the program went up 21 percent over that period, and military voter awareness of the voting assistance resources available to them show increases ranging from 50 to 85 percent.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2011 - In my first blog entry, I discussed the four themes that are important to me as I start my tenure as the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Among them I mention keeping faith with our Military Family. I was recently reminded of the importance of this when I testified before the House Armed Services Committee with Secretary of Defense Panetta last week.

During that testimony I was asked by several Representatives to comment on the recent recommendations of the Defense Business Board regarding changing the military retirement system to something more like what is available to civilians in the commercial sector.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2011 - A new campaign is working to put the "veteran" back into Veterans Day and to rally public awareness of the sacrifices made by injured veterans and their caregivers.

The Wounded Warrior Project kicked off "Believe in Heroes," which focuses primarily on wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and their caregivers, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 terror attacks. The campaign will continue through Nov. 11, Veterans Day, said Jonathan Sullivan, executive vice president of the nonprofit organization.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2011 - As part of its drive to end homelessness among veterans by 2015, the Veterans Affairs Department has launched an outreach initiative in 28 communities across the nation.

"Those who have served this nation as veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in announcing the "Make the Call" initiative.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2011 - The Military Spouse Employment Partnership is successfully connecting highly qualified, job-seeking military spouses with employers who are ready and eager to hire them, the official who oversees the program said today.

The Defense Department launched the program in June with about 60 employers on board, and it has grown to encompass 96 corporate partners who have committed to aiding spouses in finding and identifying portable jobs. The partnership also features an online job search site, http://www.msepjobs.com, and career and education counseling.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Cpl. Edward M. Pedregon of El Paso, Texas, will be buried on Oct. 6 in Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service was held in San Elizario, Texas, on Oct. 1. In late November 1950 Pedregon and the Heavy Mortar Company, of the 31st Regimental Combat Team known as Task Force Faith were overrun by Chinese forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. After several days of heavy attacks, Task Force Faith was forced to withdraw, but was stopped by enemy blockades that overpowered them on Dec. 2, 1950. Pedregon was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950.

Siskel/Jacobs Productions, an award-winning film and video production company based in Chicago, Illinois, is seeking videos of surprise soldier homecomings for an hour-long special program that will be aired on the National Geographic Channel. While we are seeking surprise homecomings we are also interested in videos of welcome home ceremonies.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 - Military families with special needs would benefit from better consistency in services, more effective communication and improved health care education.

A group of specially selected family members offered up these suggestions for countering ongoing challenges during an exceptional family member panel held last week at the Defense Department's office of community support for military families with special needs here.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011 - Pentagon officials are reminding service members stationed overseas to leave out cost-of-living pay when planning their personal budgets, due to fluctuations in the rate.

The cost-of-living allowance, or COLA, paid to those stationed outside of the continental United States to off-set foreign costs, routinely is affected by the economy and fluctuates from pay period to pay period, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said. Many service members will see a reduction in this month's payment, reflected in their mid-October paychecks, she said.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011 - Balancing a civilian career with a military spouse's career can be tough. While the service member might see a permanent change of station move as an inconvenience associated with furthering their military career, such moves can leave spouses stuck hoping to find a new job in a new area.

Robert L. Gordon III, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, said it doesn't have to be that way. He joined a DoD Live "bloggers roundtable" yesterday to explain how the Military Spouse Employment Partnership is giving spouses more career and education options.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2010 - Defense Department officials are working to remind veterans and current servicemembers who were involuntarily retained in the military under the so-called "Stop Loss" program to apply for special pay before the Dec. 3 deadline.

Military members whose service was involuntarily extended or whose retirement was suspended between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009, are entitled to a retroactive payment of $500 for each month of extension.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2010 - As the U.S. Supreme Court contemplates whether protestors at military funerals are protected under First Amendment free-speech rights, a motorcycle group that travels the country attending those funerals as a show of support and respect rides on, undeterred by the political fray.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2010 - The needs and concerns of military spouses, whose sacrifices benefit the nation, should be of concern to all Americans, First Lady Michelle Obama said today.

"These women and men -- they are heroes and it's time that we recognize the challenges they face and the obstacles they overcome and the contributions they make," Obama said at the Women's Conference(R) 2010, held Oct. 24-26 in Long Beach, Calif.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2010 - Army leaders yesterday promised to leave family support programs intact when looking for ways to reduce the service's budget.

"We want to ensure that the family programs we're operating are run well and efficiently and if we need to make adjustments so they can be more so, that's fine," said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. "But what we won't do particularly as a first reaction, is look to those programs as a source of budgetary savings."

The Department of Defense announced today the release of a free smart phone mobile application that will make it easier for servicemembers and veterans to track their emotional health after deployments.

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) developed the T2 Mood Tracker to help users monitor trends of emotions and behaviors from therapy, medication, daily experiences and changes in their environment such as work and home. It can be downloaded through http://www.t2health.org/apps/t2-mood-tracker .

HOUSTON, Oct. 25, 2010 - Michelle Summerlin ducked out of a massive conference room filled with nearly 2,000 Texas Army National Guard soldiers, families and friends, and pulled up a chair close to her husband and their 3-year-old son in a convention center lobby here.

Her son climbed into her lap, and Summerlin cuddled him while recalling the parenting challenges that arose, not while her husband was gone, but upon his return from Iraq.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2010 - A program that links reserve and National Guard members, their families and veterans with civilian employers has reached a milestone, with more than 1,000 employers now signed on to hire qualified job-seekers.

The Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces, originally an Army Reserve initiative that has expanded militarywide, is growing by leaps and bounds as it helps both the military and civilian employers tap into the same talent pool, reported Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, who founded the program.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2010 - Taxpayers with a stake in breast cancer research chose the Army to manage federal funds that are awarded to some of the best breast cancer researchers in the world. Every year since 1992, Congress has added millions of dollars to the Defense Department's budget so the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick, Md., can help scientists fight breast cancer.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2010 - The Defense Department's Federal Voting Assistance Program has a solution for overseas servicemembers and other U.S. citizens living outside the country who haven't received an election ballot: get it online.

With Nov. 2 midterm elections two weeks off, Illinois and New York recently joined the list of states and territories the Justice Department has filed complaints against or investigated for irregularities regarding absentee ballots.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2010 - President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta in a Nov. 16 White House ceremony, officials announced yesterday.

The 25-year-old noncommissioned officer -- who will be the first living soldier since the Vietnam War to receive the nation's top military honor -- learned of his selection in a Sept. 9 phone call from Obama.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2010 - A recent change in Defense Department policy highlights why servicemembers and deployable civilians who also are custodial parents may want to seek legal help in arranging their children's care during deployment.

DOD Instruction 1342.19, "Family Care Plans," was revised in May to require such plans from troops and expeditionary civilians who have legal custody or joint custody of a minor child. The new policy requires these parents to attempt to obtain the consent of the noncustodial or adoptive parent to any family care plan that would leave the child in the custody of a third party.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Three Air Force specialty codes had bonuses decreased but only for those enlisting for six years. Those AFSCs seeing decreases were airborne linguist, crypto linguist and tactical air control party. No AFSCs were added or increased for the new fiscal year.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Pfc. Lawrence N. Harris, of Elkins, W.V., will be buried on Oct. 8 in Clarksburg, W.V, and Army Cpl. Judge C. Hellums, of Paris, Miss., will be buried on Oct. 9 in Randolph, Miss. In late September 1944, their unit, the 773rd Tank Battalion, was clearing German forces out of the Parroy Forest near Luneville. On Oct. 9, 1944, in the final battle for control of the region, Hellums, Harris and three other soldiers were attacked by enemy fire in their M-10 Tank Destroyer.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2010 - America is founded on the idea of voting. Yet absentee voters -- citizens working overseas or out of their home state during election season -- can be left out of the voting process if they are unaware of absentee voting procedures.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program works to make the process of casting absentee ballots easier for servicemembers and other overseas U.S. citizens, said Bob Carey, the program's director.

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Navy Lt. Francis B. McIntyre of Mitchell, S.D., will be buried on Sept. 29, and Aviation Radioman Second Class William L. Russell of Cherokee, Okla., will be buried on Oct. 1. Both men will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2010 - The practice seems harmless enough. Servicemembers, looking to dull the edge of a stressful day, walk into a head shop after work and buy a small package of K2, the brand name of a smokeable concoction that is perfectly legal in the state in which they are residing. It is not, however, legal in the military.

Online PR News  29-October-2009  LA QUINTA, CA -- With the launch of the My Army Hero Photo Contest, friends and family can honor their Army soldier and win patriotic gifts for their hero. Hosted by Army jobs and information site Army.net, the contest asks the public to send in a photo of their Army hero as well as a short essay explaining why the soldier is their personal hero.

On Oct 30 Operation Best Wishes will be filming messages at Visterra Credit Union near March AFB for FREE

Throughout October, November and December we will be filming messages from loved ones to their military family members anywhere in the nation and deployed. This is a cooperative gift from credit unions to the military and their family members.

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Jung Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009 - U.S. Postal Service officials have announced recommended mailing dates for delivery by Christmas to U.S. servicemembers serving in Afghanistan and other overseas locations.

In honor of Veteran's Day, Brides Across America will be giving away free wedding gowns to military brides-to-be.

Brides Across America, a nationwide charity dedicated to providing free wedding gowns for military brides, announced today that their bridal store partners will be giving away free designer wedding gowns on November 11, 2009. Bridal salons across the country are pleased to reward the military personnel who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or whose fiancé's are on active duty in these areas with this special Veteran's Day event.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2009 - The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national "Holiday Mail for Heroes" campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to servicemembers, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad.

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2009 - The Defense Department will implement a new program this week to compensate former and current servicemembers for each month they involuntarily served from Sept. 11, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2009, a defense official said.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2009 - Seven families, one from each of the uniformed services, have been selected as National Military Family Association's 2009 Military Families of the Year for the roles they play in their communities and the way they embrace the military lifestyle.

St. Louis, MO - The Mission Continues is hosting their second annual Veterans Day weekend on Saturday, November 7th at the City Hall Rotunda in downtown St. Louis (1200 Market Street), starting at 4:00 p.m. Please join us as we salute our Mission Continues Fellows. Although injury and disability may have ended their time in uniform, our Fellows have chosen to continue their lives of service by giving back to their communities. We promise an inspiring event, and we - and our Fellows - would love to have your support.

The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of upcoming rotations of forces operating in Afghanistan. The announcement involves two active duty brigade combat teams totaling 7,700 personnel, and one National Guard brigade with approximately 3,500 personnel. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the spring of 2010.

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2009 - An Army brigade slated to deploy to Iraq in January was relieved of its deployment orders this weekend without current plans for a new mission, Pentagon and Army officials said here today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2009 - First Lady Michelle Obama today vowed to make the voices of U.S. military families heard in the nation's capital, and called on Americans to recognize the sacrifices made by those in uniform and their loved ones.

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2009 - As filming for Sesame Workshop's latest "Talk, Listen, Connect," video got under way here yesterday, it became clear that while it's not always sunny on Sesame Street, ultimately the clouds can be swept away.

The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next force rotation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The announcement involves three brigade combat teams, and one armored cavalry regiment totaling approximately 15,000 personnel. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the summer of 2010.

The Department of Defense announced today major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next rotation operating in Afghanistan. This announcement involves a combat brigade and combat aviation brigade totaling approximately 6,100 service members. The scheduled rotation for these forces will begin in the spring and continue through the summer of 2010.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2009 - Concerns about housing have been prevalent since the mortgage crisis struck more than a year ago, but servicemembers and certain eligible civilians in the Defense Department can get some help when they're required to move.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2008 - Installation commanders from all military services and the Defense Department will begin conducting "Financial Readiness Challenge" events nationwide next week to help military families deal with the effects of today's economy.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2008 - Whether you are a young soldier leaving boot camp for a tour in Germany or a seasoned military police officer working in Iraq, receiving a care package from home can be a huge pick-me-up. A Web site launched in September provides many ideas to families and friends wanting to send care packages to love ones stationed abroad.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2008 - A day-long event Oct. 18, hosted by five branches of a major retailer, netted a plethora of items for Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon to pack up and ship to members of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2008 - Defense Department marketers launched a new television and online advertising campaign today, but its primary target is not potential military recruits ? it's their parents.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2008 - While on patrol in northern Iraq last year, Army Spc. Kevin Hardin of Jupiter, Fla., was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He suffered injuries to his hands and arms. As a result, some of his fingers were amputated. Shrapnel penetrated his skull, leaving inoperable injuries.

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke Special to American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 16, 2008 - More than 90 National Guard members in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are on duty today after Hurricane Omar passed through their area as a major Category 3 storm that caused little damage.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2008 - Servicemembers, retirees and their family members are getting free, anonymous screenings for depression and other mental-health-related issues at military bases nationwide during National Screening for Depression Day today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2008 - Microwavable popcorn, theater-style candy, sweetened powdered drink mix, a letter of support and a DVD are what deployed troops find when they open a "movie box" from Operation: Take a Soldier to the Movies.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2008 - Operation Life Transformed honored six scholarship recipients, including the recipient of the 100th "Caregivers of War Wounded Training Scholarship," during its "Celebrate 100" reception held here recently.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2008 - Army Sgt. Gregory S. Ruske is quick to call himself an ordinary soldier, but later this month the Army Reserve will single him out for extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan that earned him the Silver Star medal.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2008 - Dozens of injured troops set out on a seven-day, 420-mile trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Sept. 28 to raise funds to support outdoor cycling programs and to let other wounded servicemembers know they can be active.

Salt Lake City, Utah (October 8, 2008) Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu<http://www.wgu.edu>) will continue to offer scholarships for military spouses wishing to become teachers through its own WGU Spouses to Teachers Scholarship<http://www.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/spouses_supplement.asp> program. WGU's unique accredited, online competency-based degrees have proven a great fit for many active-duty, reserve, and national guard military members and their spouses. WGU has awarded over150 scholarship to military spouses.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2008 - The Defense Department is a strong supporter of the federally managed AbilityOne program, which works with private and public groups to provide goods and services to the government and jobs for the blind and other people who have severe disabilities, including wounded veterans

DoD announced today it has developed a comprehensive handbook describing compensation and other benefits service members and their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a result of serious injury or illness.

The Department of Defense announced October 1 that families of deployed members of the National Guard and Reserve, active duty service members on independent duty and their families, and active duty service members and their families assigned to selected bases would be eligible for free family memberships at participating YMCAs in their local community.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2008 - Comedian Robin Williams and President Bush may have competed for laughs during the 2008 USO World Gala here last night, but it was five servicemembers who got the audience's greatest applause.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2008 - Military Health System officials want wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and their families to respond to a new pair of questionnaires designed to help them better understand the needs and expectations of the warriors in their care.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2008 - Overseas-deployed servicemembers and other troops serving outside their home states need to fill out and forward their absentee ballots so their votes can be counted as part of the Nov. 4 federal and state elections, Defense Department officials said today.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of five U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been accounted-for and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

By Staff Sgt. Joshua Jasper, USAF Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Oct. 25, 2007 - Children line the streets during the short ride to the village. Adults with noticeable disabilities and young children who may have never had professional medical assistance look curiously at the visitors, probably wondering why they have come. Despite this lack of professional medical care, one of those visitors has been making a positive difference for local villagers.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2007 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave an interagency task force studying the disability rating system for wounded warriors its marching orders: "Aside from the war itself, we have no higher priority."

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 - President Bush today posthumously presented the Medal of Honor earned by Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who sacrificed his life in an attempt to save fellow SEALs during a fierce battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

BAGHDAD, Oct. 22, 2007 - The high point of 1st Lt. William Bass' deployment to Iraq so far wasn't a raid or some other combat operation; it was the sight of two little girls playing on a brand new swing set.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 - The Army is working quickly to field and fully staff new warrior transition units, which provide critical support to wounded soldiers and their families, the general in charge of the Army Medical Action Plan said.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2007 - Defense leaders joined the Minnesota National Guard's adjutant general yesterday in urging Congress to revise the Montgomery GI Bill to improve coverage for reserve-component troops, although they didn't necessarily agree on the best way to accomplish that.

The Department of Defense announced today the alert of replacement forces scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The announcement involves seven brigades from the Army National Guard consisting of approximately 18,000 personnel.

The Department of Defense announced today that the 33rd Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, has been alerted to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to continue training of the Afghan National Security Forces. The majority of the approximately 2,700 service members alerted will deploy in late 2008. The department has alerted the unit of this deployment to give the soldiers the maximum time possible to conduct training specific to Afghanistan as well as provide predictability for family members and employers.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2007 - From stocking hats to shower shoes, a West Virginia-based group is actively filling requests from U.S. troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, sending them about 50 boxfuls of care packages each week.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2007 - Representatives of Fairfax County, Va., donated $100,000 today to help build the Pentagon Memorial that will honor the 184 people, including 20 county residents, killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the building.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2007 - Children of servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here have a new recreation option thanks to the team effort of three nonprofit groups and a defense contractor.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2007 - A South Carolina-based troop-support group and a national restaurant chain have teamed up to see that at least 500,000 servicemembers get a note of thanks this holiday season.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2007 - When Army Staff Sgt. Jason Fetty put himself between a suicide bomber and the bomber's intended targets at the grand opening of a new medical facility in Khost, Afghanistan, he wasn't thinking of the strategic, or even tactical, importance of his actions.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2007 - The Army National Guard has launched a new recruiting effort that officials hope will tap into a market that has steadily decreased since the war on terror began -- prior-service soldiers.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2007 - In California, a modern-day Mrs. Claus is rallying her helpers once again to fill care packages with goodies for troops serving far from home during the upcoming holiday season.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2007 - A new agreement between the active Army and Army National Guard represents a big step toward achieving the force structure balance Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. calls critical to the Army's transformation.

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of nine U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2007 - As part of its continued commitment to honoring servicemembers and their families, software giant Microsoft Corp. announced today that it has become a corporate supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2007 - Thousands of U.S. servicemembers took to the streets of the nation's capital and to makeshift routes laid out on military outposts around the world during the Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 7.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2007 - The SemperComm Foundation is accepting award nominations from the military community for its 2008 SemperComm Award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts by military members to boost the morale of their fellow servicemembers while stationed at remote locations.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2007 - The stress of deployments, especially during war time, can take a toll on servicemembers and their families. A group of licensed mental health professionals in Southern California is helping to minimize that impact, however.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2007 - The Defense Department is instituting new protections that will help defend servicemembers against high-interest emergency loans that can lead to a dangerous cycle of debt.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2007 - When Marine Gen. Peter Pace retires Oct. 1, so too will the signature coin that he shared with thousands of servicemembers, family members and veterans he's met personally during his two years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2006 - Children of servicemembers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11 are invited to jump aboard the Snowball Express -- destination Disneyland, with a couple of fun stops along the way.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, Oct. 27, 2006 - The Joint Military Mail Terminal Kuwait is gearing up for, by far, its busiest two months of the year -- the time when servicemembers are sending and receiving packages for the holiday season.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2006 - There's a saying that everything's big in Texas; this seems to hold true for their celebrations as well. While most of the world considers a week to be made up of seven days, Texans apparently have 10 in theirs. Or at least folks do in San Antonio do when it comes time to honor the military.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2006 - Time is running out to get the stockings of troops stationed in Iraq stuffed through Operation Christmas Stocking. The deadline to get needed items to the program's warehouse is Nov. 1.

Soldier Missing in Action from the Korean War is IdentifiedNo. 1064-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

By Staff Sgt. Les Newport, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2006 - Hoosier families of the Indiana Army and Air National Guard from Fort Wayne to Evansville rallied in the early dark morning here today waiting to hear words of support and gratitude from Vice President Dick Cheney.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2006 - Before a White House meeting with President Bush this afternoon, grassroots troop-support groups learned what their work means to servicemembers during a luncheon here hosted by America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting America's support of the nation's servicemembers.

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 20, 2006 - U.S. civilian leaders visiting here today got a taste of how U.S. military air power supports troops on the ground - from delivering troops, beans and bullets to the battle to providing life-saving intelligence to taking out targets that threaten U.S. and coalition forces.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2006 - With the 2.2 percent across-the-board pay raise that is part of the Fiscal 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department will reach its goal to bring military basic pay to the 70th percentile when compared to civilians with comparable education and training, a top DoD compensation official said here today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2006 - A brother-and-sister team that has raised more than $1 million to provide pre-paid calling cards for deployed servicemembers shared the spotlight in Baltimore Oct. 17 with fellow recipients of the 2006 National Caring Awards, sponsored by the Caring Institute.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2006 - Military commissions are a proper way to try certain people suspected of committing terrorist acts against America, in part because U.S. law prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks didn't even address such a situation, a U.S. State Department legal advisor told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2006 - Servicemembers and their families need to learn the importance of financial management and smart saving practices, so the Defense Department is focusing its efforts to make sure troops are prepared for the future, a senior DoD official said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2006 - Servicemembers and U.S. citizens living overseas still have time to register, request a ballot, and vote in November's mid-term elections, the Defense Department official in charge of the absentee voting program said here today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2006 - The latest in a series of congressionally mandated reports on the long-term health effects of troop deployments to Southwest Asia from the 1991 Gulf War to present was released today.

WORCESTER, Mass., Oct. 16, 2006 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commonwealth's senior U.S. senator offered a heartfelt "thank you" to the military community during a tribute concert awash in patriotism and pageantry here last night.

By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein, USAFSpecial to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2006 - President Bush accepted the Air Force Memorial here today in a dedication ceremony attended by military leaders of the past and present, political and business representatives and thousands of ordinary citizens and airmen.

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 13, 2006 - Operation Homefront and the Department of Defense formally agreed to cooperate on their joint mission to support military members and their families during a reception here yesterday evening.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2006 - The New York governor has called up members of the New York Army and Air National Guard for state active duty in western New York following record-breaking, lake-effect snowfall in the region.

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense No. 1025-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Air Force Pilot Missing in Action From Vietnam War is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - Army officials have a plan to maintain the current number of troops in Iraq through 2010, but it is only a plan and has off-ramps for troop reductions along the way, Army officials said today.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - Women have served in the Air Force for years, making valuable contributions, but gender and race differences have never been an important factor in accomplishing the Air Force mission, the first woman pilot on the Air Force Thunderbirds said here today.

By Master Sgt. Daniel Elkins, USAFSpecial to American Forces Press Service

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 10, 2006 - Fifteen years after conception of the Air Force Memorial, construction is nearing completion this week in preparation for the memorial's dedication Oct. 14 in Arlington, Va.

Missing WWII Airmen is IdentifiedNEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of DefenseNo. 1007-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 5, 2006 - Jennifer Rochester doesn't really see herself as a heroine. The lending assistant at First Citizens Bank in Conway, S.C., was just looking for a way to clean out some old books in her home when she came up with a project to support the military.

By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski, USAFSpecial to American Forces Press Service

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 6, 2006 - A joint team of airmen and soldiers is in Pakistan preparing for Operation Promise Keeping, a follow-up mission to aid the people in remote northern parts of the country devastated by an earthquake last year.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2006 - When Army met Texas A&M on the Aggie's home turf Sept. 16, 100 servicemembers and their guests were in the stands, thanks to the Bank of America Military Bank in San Antonio.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2006 - The Washington Nationals, a strong supporter of the U.S. military since the Major League Baseball franchise moved to the nation's capital from Montreal before the 2005 season, met here today with Defense Department officials to discuss future cooperation as the team prepares to build a new stadium next to the Washington Navy Yard.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Oct. 3, 2006 - Twenty-six sailors who worked for Navy Adm. Timothy Keating in the Pentagon died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the building. Now Keating is responsible for protecting the U.S. homeland -- and he said the memory of those 26 sailors motivates him to be as effective as possible in that role.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2006 - About 200 military and family members received money management tips from a famous financial expert during a Defense Department-sponsored seminar held here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Sept. 30.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2006 - In just a few short months, the Phoenix-based Packages From Home organization has found a new home and a new sponsor, the group's director of marketing and media relations said.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2006 - Families of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, are not happy about the unit's 46-day extension in Iraq, but they are accepting it well and the Army has many systems in place to support them while their loved ones are deployed, the unit's rear detachment commander said today.

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